This page has not been updated recently. We have kept it, within the OnWindows Archive, for your reference.

Public sector

IDEX 2013 roundup

22 February 2013

Over 1,000 organisations from around the world have joined Microsoft and its partners at this year’s International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEX) in Abu Dhabi, to showcase innovative technology solutions to truly revolutionise the industry.

Microsoft’s defence solutions help protect and serve with innovative, cost-effective technology that improves efficiency and productivity in support of safer societies

Jennifer Steele, MicrosoftWhile Microsoft has demonstrated at the event how Windows 8 can offer huge benefits to the industry, Microsoft partners also revealed how their solutions can help defence organisations today.

“Information is the key to combating the challenges of this dynamic environment, and Microsoft’s defence solutions help protect and serve with innovative, cost-effective technology that improves efficiency and productivity in support of safer societies – and delivers real results,” said Jennifer Steele, Microsoft’s senior marketing manager, Worldwide Public Sector in a recent blog post. “Earlier this year, the US Army, US Air Force and Defense Information Systems Agency signed a multi-year licensing agreement that will provide all three organisations with a single vehicle for accessing the latest Microsoft technologies – including Microsoft Office 2013, SharePoint 2013 Enterprise and Windows 8 – in support of top IT priorities in data centre consolidation, collaboration, cyber security, mobility, cloud computing and big data. With it, they join multitudes of other organisations utilising Microsoft’s flexible, agile, efficient and adaptive IT solutions to achieve mission success.”

Steele highlighted the following partner solutions from the event that are well positioned to transform the industry:

Twisted Pair: WAVEAny defence operator, whether in the field or in the command centre, knows the importance of secure unified communications. Twisted Pair’s patented WAVE software, currently deployed by all branches of the US military and a growing number of coalition forces, allows military personnel using smartphones and tablets to securely connect to existing land mobile radio infrastructure and enables existing infrastructure to expand and securely transmit critical voice and data. The result is secure, real-time collaboration anywhere, on any device, for maximum interoperability that eliminates line of sight issues.

Key 2: Armament Program ManagementApps partner Key 2 Business is showcasing its Armament Program Management Systems, an information management solution designed to maximise efficiency for ministries of defence, along with several other public safety apps available for Windows 8 and the Microsoft Surface tablet.